


Two for Two

by magisterpavus



Series: THIHV/Vampire AU [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Biting, Blood, Companionable Snark, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Multi, Polyamory, Post-THIHV, Shapeshifting, True Love, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 12:50:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13388157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magisterpavus/pseuds/magisterpavus
Summary: Two weeks, of course, was nothing in the grand scheme of things, especially compared to the two years together since Lance’s turning. And it wasn’t as if Keith had done anything without Shiro knowing; Shiro had told him everything was alright because he wanted Keith, and Lance, to be happy.And they had been. Without him.(AKA: THIHV AU!Shiro gets his long-overdue two weeks with Lance and everybody communicates well for once!)





	Two for Two

**Author's Note:**

> ahhh so excited to be sharing this with y'all, it's an important installment in the AU and it's for the wonderful @arrynzek on tumblr, who requested a slice of shance in this wild shklance au which started with established klance, leavin' shiro out for 2 sad weeks (he's a martyr and that's the sad truth). but they've all got eternity together now, so...there's more than enough time to make amends :') and make amends, they do
> 
> enjoy~

“You’re sure you’ll be alright?” Keith fretted, looking from Shiro to Lance and then back again as if they were liable to vanish at any moment. Shiro laughed and pulled Keith in for another hug, hiding a kiss in his hair and laughing louder when Lance dove in and hugged Keith tightly around the middle, making him wheeze as the breath was knocked out of him. It was a very Lance move.

“We’ll be fine,” Shiro promised, giving Keith a last nuzzle and nodding towards the car idling in the road. Pidge honked and Hunk stuck his head out of the sun roof, gesturing for Keith to come over. “Go on, they’re waiting for you, sweetheart,” Shiro murmured. 

Keith still hesitated, and it was no wonder why – he and Shiro had not been separated this long nor been this far apart for one hundred and thirty years, and this was a big step. But they had agreed on it months ago after Shiro had fallen into a brooding spell and, after much coaxing from Keith and Lance, admitted that he’d been thinking about how Lance and Keith had been together for over two weeks before the three of them became an item. Two weeks, of course, was nothing in the grand scheme of things, especially compared to the two years together since Lance’s turning. And it wasn’t as if Keith had done anything without Shiro knowing; Shiro had told him everything was alright because he wanted Keith, and Lance, to be happy. 

And they had been. Without him.

For Shiro, those two weeks had been painful. Every time Keith returned glowing with happiness and smelling of Lance, Shiro had been once again reminded that he was not as needed as he’d once allowed himself to think. When he had first turned Keith, he had been certain Keith would leave and cast him aside as soon as possible; of course that had not happened at all, but the fear of not being good enough remained. 

After Shiro had admitted this to them, Keith and Lance were horrified. They always valued fairness in their relationship, and so they contrived of a plan to make things right despite Shiro’s assurances that everything was fine. (They had both glared at him for a few moments with expressions that clearly said, _Stop trying to internalize your feelings for once, Takashi,_ and then continued planning.)

So the plan was this: Keith and Lance had gotten two weeks then, so Shiro and Lance would get two weeks now. Keith was going on a road trip with Pidge and Hunk, the only humans Shiro would ever trust with his mates. They were going to meet Thace and Ulaz in San Francisco, so Keith would have other vampires to hunt with, and planned to continue on to Las Vegas and then Los Angeles to visit Hunk and Lance’s families. Keith was excited to spend more time with Hunk and Pidge, and he admired Thace and Ulaz a great deal, but Shiro knew he was also scared and uncertain about the separation. 

“We’ll be right here when you come back,” Lance told him, sensing Keith’s unease as well and kissing his cheek with a grin. “Don’t have too much fun in Vegas without us, bat boy. And send me all the embarrassing pics you can of Pidge and Hunk, since they’ll be drunk as shit.”

“And make sure they’re safe,” Shiro added firmly. Lance rolled his eyes. “Alcohol poisoning is very serious, Lance.”

“Yeah, you cared a whole lot about that when you got us all drunk on your vintage wine at the beach,” Lance retorted. Shiro gave him a Look. Lance liked to push his buttons because he liked the end results, and Shiro never could deny him that. “Kidding. Make sure they don’t do anything too dumb, especially Pidge...and keep in touch, ‘kay?”

“I will send you Snapchats every day,” Keith promised earnestly. “With geofilters!”

Lance beamed at him. “I’m so proud,” he told Shiro, who still wasn’t quite sure what geofilters were. “Alright. Seeya, Keith. Love you bunches.”

“Love you too,” Keith said to both of them, biting his lip, and stole a last hug before hurrying off to the car, where Pidge was honking up a storm and Hunk had started blasting Bodak Yellow. 

Shiro sighed as Lance wrapped an arm around him, the two of them watching the car drive off down the road and out of town. “Thanks for agreeing to this,” Lance said, glancing up at him with a small smile. “I know it can’t be easy to let him go, even for a couple weeks.”

“Mm,” Shiro agreed, still watching the car just before it turned the tree-lined corner and disappeared. “I think I should be thanking you two for...this. You really didn’t have to –”

“No, we definitely did,” Lance interrupted firmly. “Keith and I...well, I think I speak for all of us when I say we had a rocky start. There was a lot of miscommunication, to say the least, and it wasn’t fair to you at all. I can’t even imagine how you must’ve felt. And the whole damn time, I was guiltily pining after you, too.”

“Don’t be guilty,” Shiro said quietly. “You didn’t know, we should’ve told you –”

“I’ll be guilty if I want to,” Lance said. “And I think I should be. I mean, okay, virginity is a dumb social construct, noted, but that being said...Keith was my first.”

“Yes, I’m well aware.” Shiro shook his head. “That doesn’t bother me, Lance, it was never about...laying a claim, or you somehow belonging to one of us. That...losing your virginity, that was your choice, and I have no right to be upset about the choice you made. Nor am I. Keith was...a good first, for you.”

“Are you saying you wouldn’t have been?” Shiro looked away and Lance folded his arms. “Takashi. Don’t be ridiculous. Remember that self-deprecation thing we talked about? Cut it out. Trust me, I know how easy it is to convince yourself that you’re not worth it, or that you don’t deserve someone, or a couple of someones, but it’s not true. Okay? You don’t know how often I wish we’d figured all of this out smoothly so that no one – so that _you_ – wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Because you don’t deserve that, not now, not ever. I always wanted you, Shiro. And I know this doesn’t make it okay, but I was just...I was just scared, and freaked out by the realization that I was head over heels for both of you. I didn’t know what to do, and I sure didn’t think that it would ever work out.”

“But it did work out,” Shiro said tentatively, squeezing Lance’s hand. “It all worked out, in the end.”

Lance’s eyes gleamed briefly golden in the early morning light and he sighed, leaning his head against Shiro’s shoulder, a pleasing and familiar weight. “It did,” he agreed. “It really, really did.”

*

Shiro had gotten used to waking up with Keith beside him, so he did a double-take when he opened his eyes to Lance instead, curled close to his chest with his lanky limbs splayed every which way. He really did look like a starfish, Shiro thought in amusement as he ruffled Lance’s hair, which was getting longer. Shiro told him this as Lance stirred, cracking a sleepy blue eye open and scrunching up his nose. Shiro added, “Soon you’ll be the one with a mullet.”

Lance bolted upright at that, indignant. “You take that back, babe, I will not!”

Shiro chuckled, rolling onto his back and predicting Lance’s tackle, catching his wrists easily and smirking up at him. “You will, and it will be glorious.”

“You’re one to talk, Mr. Skunk,” Lance retorted, squirming free of Shiro’s hold to card his fingers through the white forelock. The white was spreading slowly but surely, streaking up into the black. Keith had a few streaks too, and Shiro often joked that he would just keep dying his hair so that when Lance and Keith went fully silver, he would look like the youngest of the three. 

Shiro stuck his tongue out. “Skunks are cute.”

“And smelly,” Lance added. 

“You trying to tell me something?” Shiro asked, lifting an eyebrow. “Because you don’t seem to mind.” Lance had pillowed his head on Shiro’s chest and was absently petting his muscles. This was a favorite pastime of Lance’s, as Lance had often informed him. Shiro was not one for preening, but Lance made it difficult not to. 

“Nah,” Lance admitted after several more pets, “vampires don’t really get B.O. Just one of the many, many weird things about us, I guess.”

Shiro smiled. _Us._ Little by little, Lance was getting used to being “one of them,” and it was a relief that the transition had been...well, not easy by any means, but better than Shiro had expected. He was a pessimist to the core, and though he had hoped for the best, he’d had all sorts of fears about what might happen after they turned Lance. 

But he needn’t have worried. Lance was still very Lance, as evidenced by him blowing a raspberry into Shiro’s neck and cackling like a madman when Shiro spluttered in mock-disgust and tried to catch him, chasing him around the room and purposefully letting him get away, both of them running through the house and downstairs in their underwear until Lance tripped and Shiro caught him from behind before he could fall. 

“Got you,” Shiro murmured against his neck, pressing his lips to the turning mark he’d left there. Lance slumped into him and made no attempt to get away, just tipped his head to the side, baring his throat to his sire. Shiro let out a satisfied purr and gave him a kiss in return, his kisses quickly trailing away from Lance’s mouth to his neck, dull teeth digging in just enough to make Lance hiss and squirm against him. 

Shiro had always disliked the possessive displays of sires towards their progeny, because so often they were one-sided and meant to threaten and subdue more than anything else, but Keith and Lance made his instinctive drive to protect and care for them feel more natural and healthy. In truth, they were not a conventional pack, and they’d never made any secret of that. Shiro did not have the final word, and he may have been the ‘leader’ in many ways, but when it came down to it they were a team. The Vampire Dream Team, as Lance still referred to them.

And yet Keith and Lance always welcomed Shiro’s sire instincts when they emerged, and Keith had certainly embraced being a sire with more ease than Shiro ever had. Shiro remembered a night on which Keith had been particularly feisty and domineering, and relayed the memory to Lance in a low voice that made the younger vampire shiver. 

“Jeez, and here I thought we were gonna have a nice, chill night in,” Lance said breathlessly. 

“Heh, not a chance,” Shiro said, but pulled away, much to Lance’s confusion. He perked up at Shiro’s next words, though. “What do you say to a hunt, hm?”

“I say hell yeah,” Lance replied, bouncing on his heels. “Right now?”

“Sun’s down,” Shiro said, and Lance smiled, all teeth.

*

Hunting was made much easier with Lance; when he used his magic, anyway. Tonight he was in the mood for a real chase, and Shiro could feel his infectious energy, coiled tight as a bowstring. The two of them stalked silently through the undergrowth, a deadly pair, eyes glowing brightly. It had taken Lance a while to get used to his new night vision – it was like a cat’s, or so Shiro had been told. The darkness literally looked lighter, making it far easier to differentiate shapes and movement, it was like the world in grayscale. 

The nearby herd of elk was a slowly moving mass of grayish-white bodies picking their way through the trees, ten cows and a bull. Shiro held up two fingers and Lance nodded – they’d get an elk each, tonight, so they wouldn’t have to hunt for the rest of the week. 

It was a strange thing – after turning Lance, Shiro and Keith needed to feed less often, and after his initial bloodlust Lance had never displayed a need to feed as much as a normal vampire. Shiro wondered if it was a Druid thing – in hindsight, it made sense, Haggar had always displayed more self-control around blood than other vampires, and Shiro had never seen her feed while he’d been in the Garrison. So they could easily live on an elk each every week nowadays, without any hunger pangs whatsoever. 

As usual, Lance followed Shiro’s lead at the initial approach, but once Shiro leapt into motion and the chase was on, he singled out his own target, a smaller cow grazing on the new summer blackberries. Shiro always worried about the two of them separating on hunts, but he had to remind himself that they’d defeated Lotor’s garrison years ago, and it was now repurposed as a Blade base, with vampires and former thralls living alongside each other and working together to take down other Galra garrisons. 

This forest was truly theirs now, and with that thought in mind Shiro ran a little faster, catching his elk in his thrall and sending it stumbling, falling heavily to the earth, pulse pounding through his senses. He made the kill with quick efficiency, but took his time feeding, ears pricked to hear the distant yelp of Lance’s prey as it fell. Shiro had always associated feeding with a sort of haze, accompanied by certain sharpened senses, namely taste and smell. It was overwhelming for new vampires – Lance still had difficulty coming down from the high of it, which was why Shiro had suggested it tonight. He had a few ideas of how to help.

Lance finished before Shiro; he was greedier and faster with it, and whined at Shiro to hurry up as he crouched beside him, literally breathing down the back of his neck. Shiro ignored him, taking his sweet time and only releasing his hold on the dead elk until it was drained, and turning to Lance with bared and bloodied teeth.

“Impatient as always,” Shiro growled. Lance grinned back impudently, the smile falling right off his face when Shiro leapt to his feet and lunged at him. Lance’s eyes flew wide and he whirled on his heel, taking off at a sprint as Shiro followed in hot pursuit. 

It was a game, they both knew that, but the tinge of adrenaline and delighted fear in Lance’s scent was very real. Shiro had never played this way with Keith; Keith was less inclined to flight and more to fight, and so it made sense, Shiro supposed, that they were now both sires who often play fought and sparred with each other when they got into moods like this. But Lance; Lance liked to run. And Shiro liked to chase.

The scent of blood was sharp and hot in the air as Shiro pursued him, gritting his teeth when Lance vaulted over a fallen tree trunk and shot a smirk over his shoulder, knowing Shiro was less agile. Shiro broke the tree trunk in half with a well-aimed punch and Lance’s eyes widened further, his manic laughter echoing through the trees as Shiro gained on him.

But although Shiro could have, he didn’t capture Lance – he herded him instead, because he knew these woods like the back of his hand, and he had a destination in mind. Lance was clearly confused by the twist in their usual game, and kept glancing over his shoulder, but Shiro snarled and Lance picked up the pace. He was tiring quickly, but Shiro urged him faster, and then the familiar grove of trees was up ahead and Lance was panting and lengthening his stride and Shiro thought to warn him of the cliff a moment too late.

Lance shrieked as he went sailing over the cliff’s edge, landing in the pool of water below with a loud splash and a splutter. Shiro peered down at him with a tilted head. Lance spit out water, the pool blooming red with the blood from his clothes and skin, and glared up at him. 

“You,” he gasped, and didn’t get any farther than that, because then Shiro dove gracefully into the pool after him and grabbed him around the waist. Lance struggled and kicked, flailing his arms and sending pink-tinted water flying, but Shiro did not release his prize, and by the time they reached the waterfall and the small cave behind it, Lance had exhausted himself into submission. 

Shiro pressed him to the slippery rocks and kissed him hard, covering Lance’s body with his own and licking blood away from his lips and tongue while Lance went obediently limp and moaned under him. “Fuck – Shiro, please –” he begged, and Shiro loomed over him, chest heaving from the chase, both of them drenched in water, sweat, and blood. 

“How did Keith do it?” Shiro asked. Lance’s pupils blew wide. “The first time. Your first time.”

Lance gulped and Shiro followed the movement hungrily with his eyes, nostrils flaring as he scented Lance’s desire, heavy and thick when Shiro leaned closer. “W-when?” Lance asked, barely a whisper. “When I was healing in the guest bed, or –”

“No, I know what happened that time,” Shiro growled. “He sucked your cock, and he swallowed your cum, and I kissed him afterwards and tasted you on his tongue.”

“Oh, Jesus fuck,” Lance whimpered, legs curling around Shiro’s waist, heels digging into his lower back. “You can’t just say shit like that, Takashi…”

“But it’s what happened,” Shiro retorted. He faltered slightly. “Because...because I thought I wouldn’t get to have you any other way, except through Keith.”

Lance’s brow lowered and he shook his head firmly. “No,” he said. “No, you can have me any way you want. Keith’s not here now, Shiro.”

“He is,” Shiro countered, shooting him a lopsided smile and brushing his fingers across the turning mark on the right side of Lance’s neck. Lance shivered, staring up at him helplessly. “He’s here.”

“Does he...does he feel that?” Lance whispered. 

Shiro regarded him for a long moment, then darted down and sank his fangs into Lance’s neck, right over the turning mark. Lance howled and thrashed under him, claws drawing blood as they scrabbled against his back, his cock hard where it was trapped snugly against Shiro’s while Shiro pinned him fully. Of course, Lance’s blood didn’t taste as it had when he was human, but there was an echo, Shiro swore. 

Shiro pulled away, dark blood dripping from his lips, and said, “He definitely felt that.”

Lance groaned weakly, the wound already closing up. “Fine, you wanna know how he did it? How Keith fucked me?”

“Yes,” Shiro said, eyes glowing bright. “Tell me.”

“He fingered me open, first,” Lance whispered breathlessly, “nice and slow, until I was begging for it.”

“Mmm,” Shiro hummed, encouraging, peeling Lance’s soaked jeans off and sliding up his equally drenched T-shirt. Lance’s hips arched up at the brief contact and he shuddered when Shiro got his boxers off, too, then started giggling uncontrollably when Shiro fished a bottle of lube out of his back pocket. 

“Somebody came prepared,” Lance snorted, laughter ceasing abruptly when Shiro slid a slick finger inside of him in a long, firm slide. Lance’s head fell back, and Shiro cupped the back of his skull with his free hand so he wouldn’t hurt himself on the rocks. Shiro added another finger when Lance’s legs loosened around his waist, the tense lines of his body relaxing with two fingers curling deep and slow.

“Then what?” Shiro prompted, gazing steadily down at him. Lance’s eyes were glassy with pleasure and his head lolled back into Shiro’s palm, lips parted and a pink flush spreading over his skin. Shiro added a third finger and Lance opened beautifully to it, his breath catching and lashes fluttering.

“Then – then he was about to fuck me, but I was nervous, and, _ah_ , tense, and he bit me so I would relax,” Lance managed. 

“Where?” Shiro asked gently. Lance was hardly tense now, but he bit his lip and tapped his right shoulder, a tremor going through him when Shiro’s mouth covered the spot. 

“He bit me and entered me at the same time,” Lance added faintly, and Shiro groaned and complied, Lance’s gasp ragged and pleading when Shiro’s cock pushed into him. “He – he started fucking me right away –”

“Liar,” Shiro breathed, licking his lips, “Keith would have waited for you to adjust. He did, didn’t he?” Lance stared up at him, desperate and caught, and nodded jerkily. Shiro clicked his tongue. “So. What then?”

“I told him to hurry up,” Lance said, lips quirking, “and…” Lance twisted under him and grabbed Shiro’s ass, forcing him deeper and moaning in satisfaction, only to yelp when Shiro yanked his hand away and pinned his wrists to the rocks without a second thought. Lance grinned. “Yeah,” he murmured, “he did that. Just like that. And I – I thought about how he could’ve killed me in a second, if he wanted. He could’ve done whatever he wanted to me, and I wouldn’t have been able to do anything to stop him.” Lance smirked. “But my odds are way better, now.”

“Oh, is that what you think?” Shiro murmured, rolling his hips slow and shallow, Lance’s mouth falling open, his cock twitching against his stomach. “You think you could break free?”

“I know I could,” Lance retorted, and bucked under him, a leg curling tight around Shiro’s thigh and using it as leverage to flip them – or trying to. Shiro anticipated the move and snarled, pulling out and slamming Lance down face-first onto the stone, the wet head of his cock rubbing over Lance’s ass as the younger vampire spat and squirmed under him. Shiro held him easily, and Lance panted, “This isn’t how Keith did it –”

“No,” Shiro growled, nipping his ear and running his claws over Lance’s ribs, “this is how _I’m_ doing it. Are you going to behave, or not?”

“It’s like you don’t even know me,” Lance laughed, cut off with a high-pitched whine when Shiro pushed his head down, forcing him to arch his spine and grind his ass back into Shiro’s cock. Shiro thrust in roughly and Lance’s cock jerked, his toes curling. “Nngh, is that all you – mmh – got?”

“You know it’s not,” Shiro crooned, nuzzling at the nape of his neck and fucking him properly, Lance’s moans increasing in volume as his hips hitched harder and Shiro reached under him to stroke his cock, barely a tease of friction. Lance shuddered and pushed back into Shiro’s thrusts, clearly begging for more, but Shiro didn’t give it to him. He flicked his thumb over the tip of Lance’s cock and Lance made a sound like a sob, knees giving out from under him, Shiro’s hand moving to his belly to hold him up and keep the good angle. 

“Keith let me ride him,” Lance slurred petulantly, trying to get a rise out of him. It worked; Shiro growled and tightened his grip, driving his cock deeper and dragging his teeth over the line of Lance’s neck. Lance keened and clawed at the rocks, his back mottled with bruises shaped like Shiro’s mouth.

“I’ll ride you later,” Shiro retorted, and Lance whimpered, helpless and wanting, not protesting an inch when Shiro yanked his head up by the hair and kissed him long and messy, Lance’s body tightening and shifting under him as he tried to hold himself back from the edge. Shiro got a hand on Lance’s cock and Lance cried out his name, coming all over Shiro’s knuckles and slumping onto the rocks.

As soon as Lance came, Shiro’s punishing grip on him eased and he kissed Lance’s neck and shoulder where he’d bitten him, smiling when Lance let out a weak, content purr and mumbled, “You can…’m good, Takashi, c’mon, come inside me.” Shiro mouthed at his throat in gratitude and rolled his hips slower, drawing it out until Lance was mewling from oversensitivity and Shiro finally came with a low groan and a sharp jerk of his hips, leaving raised red claw marks on Lance’s hips. He admired them as he pulled out, as well as the white trickle of cum down Lance’s brown thighs. It was a good look for him. 

Shiro was tempted to just collapse on top, but settled with rolling onto his side and spooning up behind Lance, who purred louder and nestled back into the curve of his body, clumsily grabbing his hand and tangling their fingers together. Shiro pressed his face to Lance’s hair and inhaled happily. Lance sighed in agreement, and then started giggling when Shiro nosed at his jaw and licked his cheek until Lance was cackling and elbowing him while trying to lick him back.

They both ended up overbalancing and toppled into the pool with resounding squawks. Lance clung to Shiro for a moment as if forgetting he could swim – it had been awhile, Shiro realized. They couldn’t visit this place in the daytime – it was always in direct sunlight. But they were safe now, under the cool moonlight, reflected in the calm surface of the pool. They swam towards that silvery disk at the pool’s center, and once they reached it Lance stretched and floated there on his back, staring up at the sky with wide, wondering eyes. Shiro continued to tread water, unwilling to let his guard down quite so much as Lance, but enjoying the view of the glittering stars and the ethereal cast of Lance’s skin in the moonlight nonetheless.

“I can’t believe this was only the first night,” Lance admitted after a moment. He glanced at Shiro, expression inscrutable. “Can we have a thing where each of us plans a night? First you, then me, and then maybe both of us, together, and so on?”

“Of course,” Shiro said softly. “Whatever you’d like.”

Lance rolled back over and swam to his side, shaking his head. “No, this isn’t about me, Shiro. I know you like doing things for me, and for Keith, but these are your two weeks.” Shiro opened his mouth and Lance held up a finger to his lips. Shiro fought the urge to bite it, but just barely. “I saw that look, mister,” Lance warned. “I’ll plan every night from now on if you don’t watch it.”

Shiro was quiet, because that actually sounded like a huge relief. Lance tilted his head, eyes lighting up. “Wait, is that what you want? You want me to plan every night? Because I can totally, totally do that.”

“Okay,” Shiro mumbled after a long pause, ducking his head. “Yes. Um. That would be...good. If you want to –”

Lance scoffed and tugged him into a hug. “Of course I want to, chistoso. C’mon, you gotta know that I’d do anything for you at this point. Four years and then some, right?”

“Right,” Shiro said, relaxing slightly and leaning his forehead against Lance’s. “I apologize, I just...doubt, sometimes.”

“Hey, don’t be sorry,” Lance murmured, cupping his cheek and frowning. “Doubt that I love you, or…?”

“Doubt that you _could_ love me,” Shiro admitted, looking away. “Or that you should.”

Lance drew in a sharp breath. “Why you gotta do that, babe?” he murmured. “You’re breakin’ my heart.”

“I’m sorry –”

“No,” Lance said firmly. “You’re not. Don’t be sorry for telling me how you feel. Okay? Say it.”

“I’m...I’m not sorry?” Shiro tried.

“For?”

“For...telling you how I feel.” Shiro blinked at him. 

“Good.” Lance patted his head and Shiro huffed at him. “It’s a start, we’ll work on it.”

“Okay,” Shiro said slowly, biting his lip. “But, uh, right now, you know, I feel…” Lance looked at him encouragingly. “I feel really good. Right now, here, with you.”

Lance’s face split into a smile and he kissed Shiro sweetly under the full moon. “Me too, babe,” he said, and Shiro could only smile back.

*

“Really?”

“Yes, really,” Lance retorted, folding his arms and nodding to the keys. They were sitting on the piano bench together, and Shiro couldn’t help but think that it was almost exactly like that night four years ago had been. Almost, because that night had been...things had been different, then, between himself and Lance. Ruefully, Shiro supposed that was exactly why Lance had dragged him downstairs to sit in this very same spot. 

He shifted uncomfortably, looking at Lance with a distinct feeling of helplessness. He’d felt so helpless that night, sitting here with Lance, but not the same Lance before him now. That Lance had been younger and more naive, skittish as a deer, nervousness and uncertainty pouring off of him in waves. Shiro had known as soon as Lance stepped into the room that he should have sent him away at once; him being there with Shiro would only bring trouble. 

But he hadn’t been able to. He hadn’t been able to send Lance away, not when his mate’s scent clung to Lance’s skin, full of pleasure and desire that Shiro had not been the cause of but which he had allowed and even encouraged despite Keith’s misgivings. Not when Lance’s nervousness had seemed to conceal something else, something that had made Shiro’s heart flutter with hope only to crash to the ground in splinters by the time Lance fled back up the stairs. Not when Lance had looked so warm and beautiful and _alive_ , not when he had sat so close to Shiro on this very same bench, so close that their sides touched and their hands brushed over the keys. 

Shiro thought he had ruined everything that night, after he had leaned in to kiss Lance despite every instinct screaming for him to turn away, and Lance had jolted back as if struck, and ran away, back to Keith, because of course he only felt that way about Keith, and Shiro had been a fool to assume otherwise.

Shiro had been silent for too long. Lance was giving him a worried look. “Takashi?” he whispered, and Shiro swore his heart was breaking all over again, though in a very different way. “Are you alright?”

Shiro couldn’t even say anything, all he could do was swallow the lump in his throat and shake his head numbly. _I hoped you wanted me, and then I thought you were terrified of me. I thought you would never think otherwise. I thought I was doomed to share the first love of my life with someone who couldn’t even bear to meet my eyes._

Shiro didn’t say any of this aloud, but Lance still heard it; it echoed through the bond between them, forged in blood and magic three years ago. Lance’s face fell, and right then he really did resemble the Lance of that night – shocked, frightened, confused, but most of all, horrified.

“I’m sorry,” Shiro started to say, because he hadn’t meant for Lance to hear any of that, but Lance practically fell forward and kissed him, kissed him exactly the way Shiro had wanted to kiss him that night, warm and sweet and so tender that Shiro felt it in his bones. Shiro made a soft sound against his lips and Lance pressed closer, arms winding around Shiro’s neck. Shiro was dizzy from it.

“I’m not afraid of you,” Lance whispered when they parted briefly, “I was never afraid of you, Shiro, never. I love you. _I’m_ sorry.”

Shiro couldn’t reply and Lance didn’t demand one, just stroked his hair and kissed him again, and then said, “I think you owe me a piano lesson,” and Shiro laughed, his chest light with what he thought must be relief, and put his fingers to the keys.

*

Lance was quite good at planning dates. Shiro was rather in awe of his skill, actually. 

A few nights, they stayed in, having lazy sex and snuggles, making ridiculous amounts of coffee, getting slowly but steadily drunk off of Shiro’s wine, looking at the stars, and teaching each other how to dance. Shiro was bewildered by the evolution of dance, though he couldn’t say he was opposed to how good Lance looked while teaching him. He did prefer teaching Lance all his ballroom dances, the waltz and the quadrille and the minuet and so forth, and Lance was a delightfully fast learner. 

“I bet we would’ve caused quite the scandal, back in the day,” Lance remarked, leaning his head on Shiro’s chest in a way which was most definitely not acceptable in the late nineteenth century.

Shiro chuckled. “Mm, you can be certain of that.”

“Were you ever scared?” Lance asked, looking up at him quizzically, hands light on Shiro’s shoulders and feet even lighter as he followed Shiro’s lead without even looking. “Of being, y’know, discovered. You and Keith.”

Shiro considered it. “Keith was far more scared than I,” he murmured. “Perhaps because I had reached a point of not caring very much what society thought of me. Though of course I was worried on Keith’s behalf, and if anything had happened; if anyone had found out and tried to hurt us, I would have made them pay dearly. Keith is obviously quite capable of defending himself, but if push had come to shove, I’m not sure I would have even given him a chance to do so. He was the first and only good thing in my life, second life, whatever you would call this, and I was not about to let anyone – not even the law or the state – take him away from me.” Shiro sighed. “I was much angrier, back then, as you know.”

Lance hummed thoughtfully. “Yeah, sure, but I think you’ve done a good job of channeling that anger into something more positive. Case in point, you’re one of the most patient people I know, which is probably partly why we work so well together.”

“Keith isn’t very patient,” Shiro pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

“Mm, no,” Lance agreed with a sly grin. “But I don’t antagonize him the same way I do with you.”

“And what way is that?” Shiro asked innocently.

Lance kicked his ankle lightly. “I think you know. Remember that time I used my magic on you for a whole month, trying to rile you up, and you only snapped when you accidentally walked in on me jacking off?”

Shiro rolled his eyes. “Obviously I remember. That was very rude, you know — I don’t think your Druid magic is meant for giving your sires endless erections, effective though it may be.”

Lance shrugged. “Well, I’m not gonna waste that power. Not my fault you didn’t do anything with the endless erection I so generously bestowed upon you.”

“You’re a little shit,” Shiro informed him fondly. “And anyway, you don’t live nearly two centuries without gaining some serious patience along the way.”

Lance snorted. “Tell that to Lotor. Now, there’s an impatient immortal bastard.”

Shiro hissed, ears flicking back. “Don’t utter his name, it gives me indigestion.”

“Fair,” Lance agreed easily, continuing the waltz. “So...speaking of indigestion, you up for staying up a little later — or earlier, technically — than usual tomorrow?”

“Uh,” Shiro said, confused and slightly alarmed by the segue. “Sorry, what? Why?”

“We,” Lance declared, “are goin’ back to the beach.”

*

Shiro didn’t think he would ever get used to driving, but as long as he didn’t have to be behind the wheel, he supposed it was alright. 

Lance loved driving almost as much as he loved his car Azula. He also loved belting out songs at the top of his lungs, and Shiro eventually joined him during their three hour drive to Trinidad Beach. Lance always made him feel more uninhibited, to the point where Shiro even allowed himself to stick his head out the window for awhile, letting the wind ruffle his hair. Lance wasn’t the only one whose hair was getting long. 

By the time they reached the beach it was sunset, and Lance grabbed the cooler from the backseat, which he’d been weirdly secretive about. He wouldn’t even let Shiro help him carry it down to the beach (which was hardly necessary; they were both strong enough to crush the cooler with their bare hands if they wished to, although that would not be very constructive).

“Go get some firewood,” Lance ordered. Bemused, Shiro complied, and when he came back with his arms full of driftwood, Lance was kneeling beside the cooler with a devious expression. Shiro dumped the driftwood into a messy pile and raised an eyebrow. “Patience, young grasshopper,” Lance chuckled, fishing his lighter out of his pocket and setting the wood alight, the bonfire roaring to life in moments. Shiro startled back, but Lance, as usual, was undeterred by the danger. 

“Alright,” Lance declared after the fire was to his satisfaction, “are you ready for this? Because I think I’m about to blow your mind.”

Shiro folded his arms. “Try me.”

“Okay,” Lance said, and spun the cooler around while popping the lid open. Shiro peered inside...and stared. Lance shoved one of them into his palm and he held it dumbly.

“That,” Shiro said, “is…”

“Genius? Incredible? The best idea ever? I know, I know, thanks, babe.”

Shiro stared at the blood popsicle in his hand. Lance had made a whole batch, popsicle sticks and all, and stuck them in the basement freezer. “It’s kind of disgusting,” he admitted. “But genius, I’ll give you that.”

“You’re not allowed to say blood is disgusting,” Lance informed him. “Go on, try it!”

Shiro sighed and stuck his tongue out. “Oh,” he said. “That is very odd.”

Lance bit into his own blood popsicle, crunching the red ice loudly. Shiro stared at him in horror. “What?” Lance said, still crunching. “It’s yummy!”

“Did you just bite into your bloodsicle?” Shiro exclaimed. “Lance!”

Melting blood was running down the corners of Lance’s mouth and Shiro had to tell himself firmly that it was not appropriate to lick it away. Lance stuck his tongue out, and that was red too, good Lord. 

“It’s faster that way,” Lance retorted. “Unless you wanna savor it, which, by all means…” He licked the remaining stump of ice lasciviously and batted his eyelashes.

“You’re a heathen,” Shiro said. “I’ve married a heathen.”

“Married,” Lance said, grinning with reddened teeth, “you said married!”

Shiro flushed. “We are, more or less…”

Lance couldn’t stop smiling. “Ahhh, I can hear my Mama now. Ay, Lancito, tienes un tremendo mangón para un esposo, ¿puedo tener un bocado de que?”

“Your mother would never say that,” Shiro chuckled, shaking his head and taking another tentative lick from his bloodsicle. “Not in front of me, at least.”

Lance snorted. “She’s still waiting for a proper wedding, you know. It’s her Catholic streak kicking in.”

“I’m not sure that would work,” Shiro sighed. The bloodsicle got better with each lick. “Especially not with the Catholic Church.”

Lance bit his popsicle hard. “At least we wouldn’t burst into flames or anything. Right?”

Shiro gave him a look. “Lance, we all went to Stella and Ricky’s First Communion. There was no spontaneous combustion.”

“True, but we didn’t try to get married on holy ground,” Lance countered, wagging a finger. “Maybe that’s the real dealbreaker. God’s all like, ‘sure, fine, let the bloodsuckers live their undead lives and sneak into my church, but if they try to get married there, _smite them._ ’”

“You think many vampires get married in the Catholic Church?” Shiro mused. “I always imagined they were more clandestine about it.” Lance didn’t reply; he was staring out at the dark waves, bloodsicle melting slowly. Shiro nudged him. “Er...Lance?”

“Hunk is going to be a ship captain,” Lance mumbled, and then whirled around, eyes wide. “Shiro! Hunk is going to be a ship captain! In California at least, he can officiate marriages!”

Shiro blinked wildly. “But. But it’s still not legal –”

“Neither is murder, but that didn’t stop you,” Lance said cheerfully. Shiro looked at him askance. “Consensual murder, sorry. But, think about it – we wouldn’t have a document, probably, but it would still be as official as it could be! And we could have the ceremony on a boat, with the three of us all dressed up and maybe we can each have a corsage from each other and Hunk and Pidge and Shay will be there, and my mom and dad and siblings and Thace and Ulaz and Oliver, and however many Blades we can fit on the boat, and we’ll have to call Allura and Coran, I think they’re in Australia, but…” Lance trailed off. Shiro was gaping at him. Lance winced and scratched his head sheepishly. “Uh...too much?”

“No!” Shiro exclaimed, shaking himself a little. “No, not at all, it’s just...you’ve really been thinking about this.”

“Well, yeah,” Lance mumbled. “I don’t know, I just...like the idea. Of marriage. And rings, and cake, even if it’s cake we can’t eat...we can drink the champagne, at least.”

“I like the idea too,” Shiro assured him, squeezing his hand and ignoring its stickiness as the bloodsicle continued to melt. “And you know Keith, he’s a hopeless romantic to the core even if he’d never admit it.”

“So...so you’re saying you’re down?” Lance whispered. 

“I’m so down,” Shiro agreed with a smile, and sank to one knee in the sand. Lance’s eyes went huge. “Leandro Alejandro Núñez Cuesta Espinosa,” Shiro said, holding out his popsicle stick, “will you marry me? And Keith, who will probably want to do this himself, because he’s stubborn like that, and I suppose threeway engagements are complicated but we might as well give it a try –”

“Yes,” Lance gasped, practically collapsing in front of him and throwing his arms around Shiro, taking the dirty popsicle stick reverently. “Absolutely one hundred and ten percent yes I will marry you and Keith, although I’m totally going to beat Keith to the proposal and he’s going to be so flustered.”

“Or we could both propose to him at the same time,” Shiro suggested, smiling into Lance’s hair as he hugged him back. “Then he’d be _really_ flustered. He’d never forgive us.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’d be _so_ mad,” Lance drawled, giggling and shaking his head. “I hope you know I’m keeping this gross bloody popsicle stick forever, Takashi.”

“You are so weird,” Shiro said happily. “I hope you know I’m keeping _you_ forever.”

Lance squawked at him. “You’re so corny! Oh my god, I’ve ruined you,” he cackled, and they flopped into the sand together, laughing so hard their chests hurt, forgetting about the popsicles entirely. 

*

“Have you ever done this before?”

“Yes,” Lance said, brandishing the hair clippers like a sword, “if that’ll make you feel better.” Shiro glared at him in the mirror. “Hmph, just trust me, babe, it’ll be fine. It’s probably hard to fuck up an undercut.”

“Don’t jinx it,” Shiro warned. “Okay...you first?”

“Not a chance, sit your cute butt down,” Lance retorted, pointing to the chair in front of the mirror. 

“Cute butt?” Shiro repeated, heaving a sigh and sitting. “If you mess this up on purpose, I hope you know you won’t be seeing much of my cute butt anytime soon.”

“Now, why would I mess up on purpose?” Lance drawled, switching the clippers on and not missing the way Shiro flinched at the mechanical whir. Lance huffed and met his eyes in the mirror. “C’mon, I’m not gonna mess up, and you’re gonna look hot – hotter, sorry – and once again you’re gonna be like, ‘Holy cow, Lance, you always have the bestest ideas ever let me smooch you into eternity.’”

Shiro rolled his eyes, but held still as Lance touched the clippers to his hair. 

*

“Huh.”

“Well?” Lance demanded, tone sharp though he was clearly trying to disguise his nervousness. “What do you think?”

Shiro tilted his head. Lance had opted to keep the white fringe in front mostly untouched, while the sides were shorn short, a strange sensation when Shiro ran his fingers over them. He certainly looked less shaggy than before. Neater, more polished, older in a refined way – it looked good. Shiro’s eyes flicked to Lance, who had given himself a slightly less severe undercut, leaving his hair longer on top so that it still held its natural wave and fell in a few charming curls over his brow. Silently, Shiro thought the only way Lance could possibly look more attractive would be if he was begging under him. 

Keith was going to be in for quite a treat when he came home. But Shiro hoped he wouldn’t mind if he had a taste, first. And anyway, Keith had enough firsts with Lance already. It was Shiro’s turn now.

“It’s alright,” Shiro said casually, standing and turning to face him, slowly and sneakily backing Lance up against the nearest wall. Lance blinked up at him, confused, and opened his mouth to reply when Shiro pushed him, sending him stumbling back and into the corner. 

Realizing he’d been trapped, Lance’s ears pinned back and his bared his teeth in a hiss, though his blue eyes were alight with mischief, not fear. “Thoughtful of you,” Shiro purred, still advancing, baring his own fangs right back, “to leave your hair long enough for me to do this,” and he darted forward and grabbed a satisfying handful of Lance’s hair, wrenching his head back and pressing him to the wall hard. 

Lance bucked against him, struggling in vain and snapping at his hand, fangs grazing Shiro’s wrist and making him growl at the quick sting. “Now, is that any way to thank me?” Shiro reproached, glowering down at him. “You did such a good job, Lance, I’m trying to reward you, here.”

“I did a good job?” Lance whispered, his grip on Shiro’s arms loosening and eyes widening comically. “How good did I do?” And then, because he was forever and always a little punk at heart, “Please tell me, _sir_.” He fluttered his eyelashes and smiled too sweetly.

They were both on the verge of laughter, but Shiro took a deep breath and held it together. He readjusted his grip on Lance’s hair and murmured, “Do you want me to tell you, baby? Or do you want me to _show_ you?”

Lance pursed his lips and said, “I want you to…”

Shiro raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently.

Lance looked like he was in deep concentration. Then he jabbed his elbow into Shiro’s chest and leapt away from him with a rakish grin. “I want you to catch me if you can,” he retorted, and sprinted downstairs. 

“Lance!” Shiro yelled, hurrying after him, but Lance was already out the door. “Lance, why are you like this?!”

“You wanna reward me, well, might as well work up a sweat first!” Lance called, and Shiro could see him up ahead, racing through the trees. It was early morning, and the sunlight filtered in through the trees here and there as the sun rose, streaking the sky with pink and gold, illuminating Lance in brief snatches of color in between the dark foliage. Shiro had always enjoyed sunrise – it was a purgatorial time, like twilight, caught between two opposing realms, night and day. 

He had once been convinced Lance belonged to the day, to the light, to the sunshine and the warmth. It would be wrong, he (and Keith) had thought, to drag Lance down with them into the shadows. 

But there was nothing wrong with the shadows, Shiro had learned. They were not inherently evil, and the darkness was not something to be afraid of. With darkness came stars, the moon, the sounds of the forest coming alive to those awake to hear it, the beautiful world of chiaroscuro Shiro had grown so accustomed to, and which he had shown to Keith and Lance in turn. Whether one lived in the night or the day, it was best not to be alone, and that was the truth of it.

And Lance still got to see the sun. So it had all worked out, in the end.

Unconsciously, Shiro had shifted into his panther, for he did not want another fast-paced chase. No, now he preferred to stalk, and stayed low in the undergrowth, ears pricked as he listened to Lance slowing up ahead, probably wondering where the hell his sire had gone. Shiro wasn’t about to tell him, and took care to walk silently on his large paws through the pine needles and leaves, glowing eyes tracking Lance’s moving silhouette as he slowed to an uncertain walk. Lance was clever, though, clever enough to scent the air and know that Shiro was still in the vicinity, somewhere. 

“You a scaredy-cat, or what, ‘Kashi?” Lance challenged, and Shiro’s tail flicked in amusement at the unintentional pun. “I know I’m incredibly intimidating, I don’t blame you.” He flexed. Shiro took another step closer, nearing striking distance. Then a traitorous pinecone cracked loudly under his heavy paw, and Lance’s head shot up. Shiro stayed low and hidden, and but it was too late; Lance had heard and he was off like a shot again. Shiro grumbled in frustration and bounded after him, strides long and smooth, quickly gaining but unable to match Lance’s agility. 

That was no matter – Lance was heading towards a sloped hill. There were several ravens perched atop it, and all at once Shiro recognized his destination – the cave Keith had found ages ago. One of the ravens saw Lance and squawked, “Not Keith!” Lance shooed them off, glancing around furtively, and completely missing the black panther which was padding silently around to the other cave entrance, an ideal pouncing location.

Lance fell for it, and, shaking his head, walked into the cave. Shiro watched him from his higher vantage point, waiting until Lance’s back was turned...and then leapt directly on top of him.

Lance screamed, thrashing under Shiro, who was much heavier in panther form, and did not budge an inch. He sat down. Lance, face squished against the ground, managed to turn his head enough to see a pair of smug panther eyes blinking down at him. “You jerk,” Lance wheezed. “I thought I was gonna be a bear attack victim!”

_I am not a bear,_ Shiro informed him, and for some reason that made Lance start cackling uncontrollably. 

Shiro huffed and licked his hair, flattening it completely. Lance squirmed and gave him the side-eye. “You getting off of me or not, not-bear?”

_Nope,_ Shiro said, licking him again for good measure. _I like it here. You’re welcome to try to move me._

Lance growled halfheartedly at him. Shiro patted his face gently with a paw. “So this is my reward, huh?” Lance sighed. “Panther Shiro crushing me?”

_Do you wish to place a complaint?_ Shiro inquired. _Your order will be processed within the next forty-eight hours or so._

“Imitating telemarketers ain’t cute, Shiro,” Lance snorted. “And yes, I would like to place a complaint. Several, actually. I think you’re going to rupture my spleen.”

_Not possible, Drama Queen,_ Shiro chuckled. _Anyway, you’re smiling, so I think you think it’s cute. At least a tiny bit._

“Absolutely not,” Lance argued, still smiling, “you are not cute at all, you are the worst. Bad kitty.”

_Oh, yes, the worst kitty. Toe beans?_ Shiro offered his paw to Lance’s perusal, and Lance’s smile widened. He accepted the paw and amused himself by squishing the paw pads for a while, figuring out which ones to push on to make Shiro’s claws unsheathe. Shiro weathered the poking and prodding and eventually took pity and rolled off of Lance, who gulped in air like a drowning man. Shiro was unimpressed, and unsurprisingly, Lance curled right back up to his side afterwards.

The cave slowly warmed with the golden light of day as the sun rose, and Shiro draped a protective panther foreleg over Lance and his bare arms despite the cave being shielded from any harmful rays. Lance sighed and nestled closer to his soft fur. “Keith and I spent a lot of time here, during the first week that we were, uh...together,” Lance admitted.

_I know,_ Shiro said, setting his head on his paw and heaving a sigh. _But...tell me anyway?_

Lance pet his shoulder slowly, biting his lip in thought. “Well, Keith showed me this place. He changed his sleeping habits for me –”

_We both did._ Lance blinked, and Shiro explained, _I couldn’t sleep without Keith beside me. He woke up, I woke up. We were both rather sleep-deprived._

Lance’s face fell. “But...but then, those nights that Keith and I spent together, without you, you didn’t…?”

_Sleep? No, not really._ Lance looked stricken. _I thought I could bear it, though. I thought I could let you and Keith have what you wanted –_

“We want you,” Lance whispered, stroking his ear and kissing his whiskery cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

_Keith and I were fools for not telling you outright that we were mates,_ Shiro murmured. _It would have been better if it was clear from the start. But instead...Keith got tangled up, I gave my reluctant blessing, and we all suffered together._

“No, no,” Lance said, “don’t make this seem like Keith and I were hurting even half as much as you were, Shiro. We weren’t. We were here, together, and you were alone, thinking that things were just gonna be that way for who knows how long. And that’s not right, okay? It’s not right that you had to go through that, and I’m sorry it ever happened. If I had known…” He shook his head and tucked his face into Shiro’s neck; Shiro’s paw tightened around him. “But I didn’t. I was oblivious for two weeks.”

Shiro didn’t protest that, but he nuzzled at Lance’s shoulder reassuringly; he’d been forgiven a long time ago. And despite Lance and Keith trying to put all the blame on themselves, Shiro knew that wasn’t quite fair. He had just assumed there was no way Lance would feel the same way about him; more than that, he had assumed Lance was afraid of him. It hadn’t been an entirely unfounded assumption, but Shiro had since then decided to stop making assumptions of any kind, and start actually communicating. 

“Wait a sec,” Lance said, sitting upright as best as he could with Shiro’s leg still draped over him. “That morning, when I found you like this,” he gestured to the panther snuggling with him, “in the forest...you hadn’t slept at all, had you?”

_It was not a good night for me, no,_ Shiro admitted, and then blinked when Lance hugged him tightly, arms wound around his thick neck. _Thanks, Lance,_ he sighed, purring and hugging Lance back as best he could. _Your cuddles that morning did help, for the record. I was quite tempted to lay like this with you then, but...I think that would have surely frightened you off._

“Nah,” Lance chuckled. “I was already having a crisis about having a huge crush on a dude who could turn into a panther. I was resigned to my fate of being a furry, it’s all good, I’ve come to terms with it.”

Shiro gave him a flat look. Lance had explained furries several years ago; it was not a conversation Shiro liked to reflect upon. _It’s covered in barbs,_ he said. Lance squawked at him and scrambled away, gawking. _Sharp, sharp barbs._

“I don’t wanna know,” Lance pleaded. 

_Good,_ Shiro said primly. _I just wished to make my stance clear._

“Crystal fuckin’ clear,” Lance squeaked. “I am also. No. Not into that. At all.” There was a long pause. Shiro licked his paw casually and Lance mumbled, “Okay, but seriously, how did you even…” Shiro pinned him with a glare. “Right,” Lance said. “Mentioning the spiky panther dick is forbidden, noted.” He shuddered. “I hope I don’t get a spiky dick.”

_I think you managed to ruin cuddling, Lance._

Lance squawked at him indignantly. “I did not! I mean, your spiky dick isn’t like, out now, right, so – ow!” Shiro batted him with a paw and sent him sprawling. “So it’s all good,” Lance finished, giggling and unrepentant. “C’mon, come back, kitty.”

Shiro considered sitting on him again but dragged him back in instead, licking his hair a few more times just to mess it up beyond recognition. Lance shoved at him but calmed down soon enough – the sun was up, and it was past their bedtime. 

“I was gonna tell you about me and Keith in this cave,” Lance mumbled into Shiro’s fur. “It was nice. We would just kinda make out on that couch...I gave Keith dance lessons a few times. I brought him coffee. I wish I’d brought you coffee, too. Sounds like you needed it.”

_I always need coffee,_ Shiro chuckled, listening raptly. _You got into that fight here, didn’t you? When you asked Keith to bite you?_

“Yeah,” Lance said, frowning. “Yeah, that was a whole...thing. Man, we were dumb back then. But anyway, we made up quick enough…” He hesitated, and peered up at Shiro. “If it was you, and I’d asked you to bite me...you think you would’ve?”

_Yes,_ Shiro said without hesitation, and Lance looked startled. Shiro ducked his head and sort of shrugged. _Keith is morally opposed to taking human blood, as you know. I suppose I am too, because of his influence, but...I would not have refused offered blood. Especially if you told me it would give you pleasure._ He chuckled. _Keith was so scandalized by that, you know. He and I often bit each other before that, but he had never heard of any such behaviors among humans. He couldn’t wrap his head around the concept of humans finding pleasure through pain. I suppose he considered masochism to be exclusive to vampires...sexuality was not discussed nearly as freely in society when Keith was human._

“It’s weird to think Keith might be the most innocent out of the three of us,” Lance said after a pause, and Shiro rumbled with laughter. “Maybe not anymore. Think we’ve corrupted him?”

_Entirely,_ Shiro agreed in mock-solemnity. _We deflowered him, you might say._

“Deflowered!” Lance snickered. “As if. He’d deflower our asses if we told him that.”

_Our asses were deflowered long ago,_ Shiro said gravely, and Lance laughed himself breathless. 

By the time they’d both stopped chuckling, the tiredness was setting in, and Lance closed his eyes, pillowing his head against Shiro’s shoulder just as he had in that clearing on a morning not unlike this one. 

“I know we say it a lot,” Lance mumbled, “but I love you, Shiro. So much. And I get so...it makes me so happy when I think about having eternity to keep loving you. We had to go through a lot of shit to have each other, to have this, and I don’t ever want to let that go. I want you to know that, no matter what.”

_I love you, too,_ Shiro whispered, watching as the glow of morning painted Lance in warmth, in life; skin like rich earth and eyes like clear water. _Forever._

_Forever,_ Lance agreed, smiling sleepily and curling close, a bundle of lanky limbs and contentment against Shiro’s chest. 

Forever was a long time, but Shiro thought he was in very good company.

**Author's Note:**

> also, yes, i did address the fact that some of y'all are waaaay too keen to see more of panther shiro. ya darn furries. KEEP YA PAWS OFF OF HIM LOL
> 
> (.....but there will be an installment coming up specifically devoted to panther shiro based on a certain scene in the main fic from a certain broody sire's perspective, so stay tuned.)


End file.
